Wild life in the garden, or around!

Slit eyes - venomous. Round eyes - not.

1 Like

I believe there are exceptions in some countries,
but here in France… I’m told that if it has a round pupil… I should be OK… and if it has a vertical-slit pupil, I should never have got that close… :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

1 Like

Thank you Sue - is that a reliable indicator for all species do you know?

They are “helping” keep it dwarf!

1 Like

I suppose I COULD look at it like that… :rofl:

1 Like

Apparently not - sadly. Google tells me coral snakes (venomous) have round eyes.

But as @Stella says, it’s a generalisation that works for France.

My brother was telling me that the brown snakes at his place hide in the creeper growing up the neighbour’s wall! Then he casually chips in about cleaning out a nest of evil small spiders in his shed.

We were walking to the supermarket this morning in Machecoul , Pays de la Loire when we saw a flock of chickens in the grounds of a retirement home and others in gardens of adjacent health faciliities. What an excellent idea. They have so much character - they must bring a lot of pleasure to people.

5 Likes

Female grasshopper…think she came inside travelling on my pupster’s coat after a walk…

Gently picked her up in a soft cloth and took her back outside :slightly_smiling_face:

4 Likes

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone cared about nature and its creatures the way you do?

I read that it is disputed that Gandhi said ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’ but I believe there is a truth in those words, whoever uttered them.

2 Likes


This cute little visitor appeared in the garden the other day. Hoping for a closer shot, but he/she moves fast.

5 Likes

Try shooting on a “repeat firing” setting where the camera is taking shot after shot and move with the squirrel.
And if you have a large enough file to work with you can crop your photo, to get an impression of a close up. Nice portrait - eye of squirrel beautifully in focus. You’ve caught the catch light in his/her eye.

3 Likes

Absolutely beautiful, Fleur! Well done getting a photo - I just tend to see a long red streak moving at the speed of light across the road :rofl:

1 Like

Thanks for the tip Sue. Nice crop too. I was taking photos of birds in the birdbath and noticed the squirrel out of the corner of my eye. Wasn’t quick enough to think it all out! I have used the excellent repeat firing setting and I have a custom setting on the dial ready for it, but I wasn’t expecting this visitor. Next time. One has to be both ready and lucky!

1 Like

I so agree. :slight_smile:

I have just seen the smallest snail I did ever see. I don’t think I woud ever have noticed a snail so small had this one not been climbing up the window in the door. It was very near the top when I saw it and I messed up the shots of it on the glass, which was a pity because the light shone thru’ the shell and the body inside was visible.

It made it onto the frame, where I did get some shots. The grain in the paint and that pinhope give an idea of the size of this creature - minute. It fits on the top of the door without bumping its shell on the door frame … Only 3-4mm

Wonderful photographs here

2 Likes

there do seem to be a lot of tiny, baby snails about at the moment… so very small but still perfectly formed

And in our garden they all crawl up to the top of the low posts round our potager and the low pillar solar lights we have at the side of our drive. I think they are sun bathing. :grin: I suspect the sun helps harden their shells. (Don’t know by the way, just guessing.)

The last bird I expected to see at the bird bath - a Barn Owl. Handsome looking individual.

A mouse lives under the circular bowl, so maybe the mouse caught the owl’s eye.

6 Likes

Latest in the ‘smallest’ category.
image

The frog must be 25mm, The slugs here are all orange. I think it’s the iron oxide in the water.